I was the weird kid on the block in the late 80's with a Master System, which was great but the schoolyard battles of say Ghost House vs Castlevania were obviously not in my favor. come spring of '89 though, that all changed! A couple friends a few houses down frantically called me over to see Altered Beast, Thunder Force 2, Space Harrier 2 & i wanna say Last Battle? our 8-bit systems were home to many distant ports from the vastly superior arcade offerings, and this was one of the first times I felt I saw that gap close a bit - Tekken 3 would do it years later, and of course the Dreamcasts' Soul Calibur was the one to finish the cycle for me (a fitting end to both closing said gap & sega's hardware finale, i thought).

A year later, we'd mostly play Moonwalker until I finally got my own system with Phantasy Star 2, my first real JRPG (i still have a polaroid shot of the ending!). To this day, I've hadsome of my best co-op experiences on it, from ToeJam & Earl, Streets of Rage 1/2, Bonanza Bros and so many others - i managed to wear out several pads & an arcade stick, and i don't drop those things. Good times.

Not to indulge the aforementioned schoolyard battles too much here, but while SNES is (rightfully) cheered on here for many classics, the Genesis had more than its fair share of fantastic arcade action, JRPG, SHMUPS and many others - if you only play the many rehashed collections Sega puts out now, you'd really miss out.

On that note: what were some of your lesser-known favorites? Mine were:

If you're really into getting the good sound, you want the one actually labelled "HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS" (it wasn't on all the Genesis 1s), and lacking copyright protection screen at the beginning. The Walkman-style headphone jack gives it great bass. Pop in SoR2.

The Genesis was my first console ever and definitely one of my favorites. <3 There's still classics I haven't tried on the system yet so I should look into those sometime soon. I should get Contra and Castlevania.

I went down a wierd rabbit hole a few years ago researching the various Sega Genesii and their differing sound qualities.

If you're really into getting the good sound, you want the one actually labelled "HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS" (it wasn't on all the Genesis 1s), and lacking copyright protection screen at the beginning. The Walkman-style headphone jack gives it great bass. Pop in SoR2.

The Genesis was my first console ever and definitely one of my favorites. <3 There's still classics I haven't tried on the system yet so I should look into those sometime soon. I should get Contra and Castlevania.

Hard Corps lives up to its name, Bloodlines is fantastic and ive no idea why it doesnt come up in Castlevania talks more often. Neither will disappoint!

Originally Posted by goldenpp72

i always wonder how many of the games I enjoyed on this system were actually good.. Stuff like B.O.B or the chester cheetah games, etc, all experienced on the genesis :P

oh man, when i was looking up titles for this thread, there's so very many that fit that bill for me... i even revisited a few last year just to find out, here's a few that did not age well at all in my book (versus memories of being stuck with them for weekends/months at a time of course)

DJ Boy

Jurassic Park - still cool to play as a raptor, mind you

Taz-Mania - looks great still though

Comix Zone is a mean game that hates you

Eternal Champions didn't survive the 90s for a reason

Super Hydlide is what you play when there's literally no other RPGs and you already beat Sword of Vermillion

Aero the Acrobat sucked

most licensed games that we all played like Batman Returns (and id say X-Men as well) do not stand the test of time

fuck i'm forgetting the others

i mean stuff like Buster Douglas Knockout Boxing and Mr. Zoom were kinda crap even in the day, but there's others im afraid to have my rose-tinted feelings on them tarnished, like say Cool Spot

I had one before I started reading game magazines. All the games I bought were terrible.

yeah, see my above list! this happened to me with like 3 gens of simpsons games

Originally Posted by BocoDragon

I went down a wierd rabbit hole a few years ago researching the various Sega Genesii and their differing sound qualities.

If you're really into getting the good sound, you want the one actually labelled "HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS" (it wasn't on all the Genesis 1s), and lacking copyright protection screen at the beginning. The Walkman-style headphone jack gives it great bass. Pop in SoR2.

I was an NES/SNES kid, but the Genesis has earned a well deserved place in my heart. Fortunately, a lot of my friends growing up had them, so I was still able to experience the classics when they were fresh.

What hurts me most about talking about the Genesis is knowing that my favorite games for it will never recieve the next gen sequels they deserve. :(

When I build my retro game station, I will finally own one. Looking forward to that day.

It's kind of funny, I actually went out and bought a Genesis so I could play the latest PGA Golf because the new one wasn't on the SNES. I know, I know. But back then I was a very casual gamer even though I had been playing them off and on since the days of Pong. But I remember going to the store and picking it up, along with that accursed golf game, coming home, and happily going on about how I had just got it. Well, money must have been tight that month because my mother started freaking out and eventually started crying because I spent so much money. I mean, I even paid for it with my own cash, I was like...wtf? I never understood that.

But anyway, I eventually got my head on straight and bought some good games. One of the highlights being Landstalker. Though to be honest there were times I wanted to throw my controller at the wall trying to make some of those jumps.

All in all, a great system. I still have that old Genesis II, though I eventually just started playing all my games on my Nomad which I got a couple of years later. I can't even tell you how many hours I sunk into Virtua Racing on that thing.

Ahh, the Genesis. I think people who say the SNES was the better 16-bit system were crazy, because I had far more fond memories of Sega's wonderful little console. The SNES was my Square RPG, Pocky & Rocky, and Harvest Moon machine—otherwise, the Genesis was the object of my adoration.

Some of the games that I loved:

Target Earth: I've never properly finished this game (aka, without the cheat code), and I probably never will. Fascinating game that constantly presents new types of gameplay and missions.

Herzog Zwei: It'll forever be a classic. Such a tense, competitive game when playing with friends.

Super Hydlide: I have no idea why I loved this game, but I did. Thinking back, with how punishing and complex it was, it was almost like a 16-bit Dark Souls.

Gaiares: Yet another example of fantastic concepts being developed. All of your special weapons were stolen from enemies, which means you had a wide array of shot types to choose from—and a huge chance of screwing yourself if you died at the wrong time.

Gauntlet IV: A totally bizarre twist on the classic Gauntlet, as it add an almost RPG-esque mode—but also as fun as it was different.

Trouble Shooters: Probably the closest I've ever come to feeling like I was playing a game based on Dirty Pair (a favorite 80's anime of mine). A side-scrolling shooter where you play as a pair of female soldiers who set out to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Rolling Thunder 2: The original Rolling Thunder was an interesting game, but the sequel took things to a whole other level. And, of course, it was a game where I could pick a female main character at a time that that wasn't always common, so that got it extra points in my book.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms II: I adored this game so much, even if I would never come anywhere close to "beating" it. Even though I'm still a fan of the series to this day, I consider RotTK2 to be my favorite (due to a mix of complexity and simplicity, and also for the nostalgia factor).

So many other games I could name (Sonic, Wonderboy in Monster World, Castle of Illusion, Landstalker, Phantasy Star II/IV), but those are the ones that instantly come to mind.

i always wonder how many of the games I enjoyed on this system were actually good.. Stuff like B.O.B or the chester cheetah games, etc, all experienced on the genesis :P

Oh God. That reminds me. I remember playing some Sylvester and Tweety game on the Genesis. Just played that game for hours and hours. I have absolutely no idea why. Must have been cheap and money tight. I had no effing clue what I was doing back then.

I went down a wierd rabbit hole a few years ago researching the various Sega Genesii and their differing sound qualities.

If you're really into getting the good sound, you want the one actually labelled "HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS" (it wasn't on all the Genesis 1s), and lacking copyright protection screen at the beginning. The Walkman-style headphone jack gives it great bass. Pop in SoR2.

I remember being puzzled when my Genesis lacked those features compared to my next door neighbor's. Then again, I remember really hating that two tone Genesis logo. Weird, I ALWAYS played my Genesis with headphones but never noticed any sound problems. Though I'm now researching RGB and S-Video mods so I'll probably get that HD model now.

Super Hydlide: I have no idea why I loved this game, but I did. Thinking back, with how punishing and complex it was, it was almost like a 16-bit Dark Souls.

...goddammit shidoshis, i am not gonna walk back taking a dump on that game a few posts backokay i may slowly crawl it back - as though the MC wore too heavy an armor! - but only because that nihilistic ending was kinda balls-out for the time, probably one of the meanest ones i saw from that era, next to Phantasy Star 2 and Cosmic Fantasy 2 now that i think about it

Rolling Thunder 2: The original Rolling Thunder was an interesting game, but the sequel took things to a whole other level. And, of course, it was a game where I could pick a female main character at a time that that wasn't always common, so that got it extra points in my book.

I'm always happy when stuff like Strider get talked about, but this absolute gem of an action game gets left in the cold far too often...its one of those i was dumb about and rented every weekend for like a year instead of just buying, too. Great stages (graphics & music both felt amazing to me at the time), good level of difficulty, and perhaps the single greatest password system of all time

Trouble Shooters: Probably the closest I've ever come to feeling like I was playing a game based on Dirty Pair (a favorite 80's anime of mine). A side-scrolling shooter where you play as a pair of female soldiers who set out to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Just so you know, there's a sequel to this game that was only released in Japan/Korea, as well as a fan translation patch that you should be able to find by googling "Trouble Shooters Vintage". It's better than the original in every way, IMO.

I just recently bought a Mega Drive. So far I've only got Desert Strike and Jungle Strike but they are really fun. I never owned one when they were the current generation so it's nice to putter about with it now.

GAF: i know a lot've you recommend SCART (or at least S-vid) for SNES, what are my best options for hooking up a genny?

Originally Posted by DidntKnowJack

God dammit. This thread is going to have me visiting ebay every 5 minutes.

aw man, i can't do it. yeah i want a bunch here too but im gonna try sticking to craigslist & garage sales fora bit, for the most part ebay doesnt jack em up nearly as high as SNES ones but it's still silly for lesser known ones, from what ive seen. again, i can get Moonwalker for like $20 in a decent case, but CL has people with a genesis + 10 games for that amount...sure, 2 of them are fucking Home Alone, but still!

Subscribed. One of the best consoles I've ever owned if not the best. I still have memories as a kid of being so excited to boot up Sonic 3 when that came out. It made me a diehard Sega fan for life; even selling my PlayStation 1 when all of my friends had one to switch it for a Dreamcast. Those Sonic games are still my favourite games of all-time and then you have the awesome Streets Of Rage series (love them all even Streets of Rage 3) along with some of the best side scrolling 2D platformers ever created.

As a Nintendo kid I had limited exposure to the Genesis but I did have several friends with the system. One day I went to a friend's house and he and another kid were playing an incredibly cool looking game. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I asked what they were playing and they answered "Here's Og's Wii". It took me twenty years to figure it out.

Just so you know, there's a sequel to this game that was only released in Japan/Korea, as well as a fan translation patch that you should be able to find by googling "Trouble Shooters Vintage". It's better than the original in every way, IMO.

Yeah, Battle Mania Daiginjou. How I want this game, and an it's expensive, but really, I've thrown money at similarly priced items without scoffing. Hell, I played Panorama Cotton via emulator only to later scour eBay to acquire a physical copy. And that game wasn't cheap either. Always did regret missing out on the mug on an auction a few days later. :(

My megadrive died of unknown causes about 15 years ago. These days I would have cracked it open and tried to salvage it myself, but being a young'un it pretty much went right into the trash. :(

It's currently the only Sega console I haven't repurchased yet, but it's next on the list (when the urge to invest in yet another old console strikes, and space allows). I already have a hit list of carts I will be hunting down first when I do. I need to get my Thunder Force on.

I came to US in 1994 and immediately asked my parents to get me Genesis and SNES. (I sold my Megadrive and Super Famicom back in Korea, as friends told me they will not work with American Games) I looked at whole freaking gaming section at Walmart to find BareKnuckle 2 and could not find it. Well, it didn't take me that long to figure out that Streets of Rage 2 was the damn same game.
Hell, I learned everything about Football by playing Madden 93 for Genesis.

I only owned a Genesis for like a week before we switched it for an SNES. I don't regret that, but I did manage to play more Genesis at my friends house other than that week with Sonic 2. I remember the other Sonic games, X-Men, Comix Zone, Alex Kidd, Vectorman, Eternal Champions, Aladdin, Streets of Rage, Ecco the Dolphin, Toejam & Earl, Golden Axe, Mortal Kombat 2, Altered Beast, NBA Jam, Earthworm Jim, Afterburner... probably more. I was okay with my more casual connection to it but now I remember it fondly, and I'm sure owning a Dreamcast really helped that.

Here is something though: I remember Sonic 3D Blast but the Genesis version is all I can find now and I swear it's shittier than my memories. Was there a superior Sega CD or 32X version?

BTW, how are the official cordless controllers? I've been having a hankering on acquiring a pair these past few months, but never see anyone bring them up. If there's one thing this console generation definitely spoiled me on, it's having things be wireless.

I only owned a Genesis for like a week before we switched it for an SNES. I don't regret that, but I did manage to play more Genesis at my friends house other than that week with Sonic 2. I remember the other Sonic games, X-Men, Comix Zone, Alex Kidd, Vectorman, Eternal Champions, Aladdin, Streets of Rage, Ecco the Dolphin, Toejam & Earl, Golden Axe, Mortal Kombat 2, Altered Beast, NBA Jam, Earthworm Jim, Afterburner... probably more. I was okay with my more casual connection to it but now I remember it fondly, and I'm sure owning a Dreamcast really helped that.

Here is something though: I remember Sonic 3D Blast but the Genesis version is all I can find now and I swear it's shittier than my memories. Was there a superior Sega CD or 32X version?

I only owned a Genesis for like a week before we switched it for an SNES. I don't regret that, but I did manage to play more Genesis at my friends house other than that week with Sonic 2. I remember the other Sonic games, X-Men, Comix Zone, Alex Kidd, Vectorman, Eternal Champions, Aladdin, Streets of Rage, Ecco the Dolphin, Toejam & Earl, Golden Axe, Mortal Kombat 2, Altered Beast, NBA Jam, Earthworm Jim, Afterburner... probably more. I was okay with my more casual connection to it but now I remember it fondly, and I'm sure owning a Dreamcast really helped that.

Here is something though: I remember Sonic 3D Blast but the Genesis version is all I can find now and I swear it's shittier than my memories. Was there a superior Sega CD or 32X version?

My favorite console of all time. And yes, OP you need to play Shadowrun. It's awesome. I played it years later through emulation (no official release here in Germany) and was blown away by how much better it is compared to the already very good SNES game.

My bro and I started gaming with the Genesis (Mega Drive over here), and we would play the hell out of Streets of Rage & SOR2, often ending up in arguments LOL. We also enjoyed Gunstar Heroes, Golden Axe, Thunder Force III & TFIV, Sonic, DecapAttack and many other games that our friends brought over. Unfortunately, our time spent with the Genesis became less and less when the SNES arrived.

As for lesser-known favourites, there's this game called Two Crude Dudes which I thought was pretty fun. The visuals and sound effects were hilarious, and I loved the fact that the main characters could pick up all sorts of objects, including enemies and partner, and simply throw them at other enemies.

First console and my first experience of importing hardware and software from Japan, whilst the 8 bit generation got me hooked on games it was the Megadrive that sealed the deal. Castle of illusion was the first title me and my friends saw in motion and it blew our mind, so much so that before any of us got consoles my friend taped himself playing through the game and lent it to us - streaming old school style. The ultimate social gaming platform of the time too with so many good multiplayer games like SoR, NHL 94, the first FIFA.

I only owned a Genesis for like a week before we switched it for an SNES. I don't regret that, but I did manage to play more Genesis at my friends house other than that week with Sonic 2. I remember the other Sonic games, X-Men, Comix Zone, Alex Kidd, Vectorman, Eternal Champions, Aladdin, Streets of Rage, Ecco the Dolphin, Toejam & Earl, Golden Axe, Mortal Kombat 2, Altered Beast, NBA Jam, Earthworm Jim, Afterburner... probably more. I was okay with my more casual connection to it but now I remember it fondly, and I'm sure owning a Dreamcast really helped that.

Here is something though: I remember Sonic 3D Blast but the Genesis version is all I can find now and I swear it's shittier than my memories. Was there a superior Sega CD or 32X version?

Man, Eternal Champions had the best fatalities

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a gif for Dawson's Tree Spike fatality, probably the most gruesome ever.

Streets of Rage 2, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles. I poured hours upon hours into those games. All the OSTs are burned into my brain, but the SoR2 one especially is an all time classic that I still listen to to this very day.